public safety

On the morning after the shootings in San Bernardino, California, the sheriff in Ulster County, south of Albany, posted a status update on Facebook. His post was directed to licensed handgun owners. He urged them to carry their firearm, as long as they know how to use it. So far, the post as been shared over 33,000 times.

The next day, the sheriff of Lewis County shared that update too and said he agrees.

Stepped up security at railroad and other mass transit systems was announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who say it’s absolutely necessary, but no there’s specific terror threat.

The governors of New York and New Jersey say they are reacting to the increasingly active terrorists in the Middle East, and stepped up military activity by the United States, including air strikes.

At least one member of Utica's Common Council is calling for the city's public safety commissioner to perform a top-down review of the city's safety policies, saying a rise in gun crime and the heroic actions of two residents are a call for change.

Councilman Joe Marino presented his request during a meeting last week and is calling on Mayor Robert Palmieri, who also serves as the city's public safety commissioner, to provide the council with a full review.

Thousands of motorcyclists are preparing to hit the road as summer nears, and New York state is urging caution.

To encourage caution and safety, the state is urging motorcyclists to take its Motorcycle Safety Program. During the course, motorcyclists weave in and out of traffic cones behind Shoppingtown Mall in DeWitt, the site of one of the state’s programs.

Program manager Ben Zadrozny said the idea is to get inside the head of riders and teach life saving techniques.

In a handful of labs around the U.S., researchers are creating human tissue from stem cells and manipulating them to replicate the functions of human organs, all on platforms about the size of a thumb drive. This research platform is known as a "human-on-a-chip," and it has the potential to change the nature of medical treatment.

Dr. Harry Salem has been involved in his fair share of exciting scientific breakthroughs, including the creation of the breathalyzer, the infant incubator, and Nyquil.

Among the improvements to the infrastructure of the New York State Fairgrounds this year, is an upgrade of the fair's surveillance system. New high-tech cameras are replacing an older system that will keep an eye on anyone visiting the 375 acre fairgrounds.

Phase one of the installation involves laying down the infrastructure for the new cameras and installing them in certain areas, according to Assistant Fair Director Troy Waffner.